Rubber heel



Nov. 24, 1925. 1,563,098

J. H. MILLER RUBBER HEEL Filed Jan. 1o. 192s INVENTOR JOSEPH H. MILLERM@ JM ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 24, 1925.

UNITED i@ JOSEPH H. MLLER, F ST. LOUS, lvCSSO'UR, ASSEGFOR E @ETE-HALFTG EMIL SCHLAMP, 0F LOUS, MSSUR.

RUBBER HEEL.

Application filed January 10, 1925,

To all fui/1.0m t may concern.'

Be it knovvn that I, JosnrH H. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have inventednew and useful improvements in Rubber Heels, of Whichthe following is aspecification.

The object of this invention is to provide a rubber heel, or otherrubber article in* tended to `support Weight, of such construction thatthe maximum of resiliency Will be afforded, the minimum of Wear Willresult, and'in certain applications, slippage will he prevented.

To this end, the invention is characterized by providing the rubber heelor other article ivith one or more pneumatic cushions of novelconstruction, Which provide a cushioning effect in addition to thatprovided 2U by the resiliency7 of the rubber itself, such `ifushioningeffect being in part due to the yielding of the cushion under Weight, asdistinguished from the compression thereof, and, in part, to pneumaticaction afforded by the compression of air in pockets shaped to receivethe body of the cushion as it yields under pressure.

The invention is more particularly applicable to a rubber heel, but, asindicated above, other applications are contemplated. For example, theinvention may be embodied in rubber mats for use by persons Whoseoccupation requires them to stand the greater part of the day, as, forexample, tellers in banks. `Another application contemplated is that topneumatic tires, in which the coustruction ivould increase theresiliency of the tire and also tend to prevent shielding on slipperystreets.

Vhile I have shoivn the inventionin the accompanying drawing as embodiedin a rubber heel, it will be understood from the above that the saine isnot limited to such application.

In the drawing'- Figure l is a bottom plan view of a rubber heelembodying my inventlon;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a bottoni plan view illustrating a rubber heel having aplurality of cushions; and

Figure 4: is a sectional view on the line L-t of Figure 3.

Serial No. 1,591.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the heelV shown in Figure l; and

Figure 6 is a top plan vieiv of the heel shown in Figure 3.

Referring noW to the drawing, the numeral l, in all the vie-Ws,indicates a heel constructed of rubber in the usual manner, and providedat various points near its edge with recesses 2, at the bottoms of Whichare embedded apertured Washers 3 a'ording a bearing for the heads ofnails inserted in said recesses and driven through the body of therubberinto the heel of the shoe. In molding the heel, a core is inserted inthe mold of such shape that the rubber surrounding the same Will providea recess l of the shape shown in Figures 2 and 4, opening from the upperside of the heel. The bottom of the mold for shaping the tread surfaceof the heel is provided With one or more recesses Iof a shape to provideone or more projections 5 on the tread surface of the heel and also ofthe shape shown in Figures 2 and 4. These projections or cushions arefrusto-conical in shape, having a flat tread surface 6 and taperingsides 7 which merge into the flat tread surface 8 of the heel. Thecushions 5 are, of course, integral vvith the body of the heel l, therecess i providing a relatively narrow portion 9 surrounding the cushionand providing a connection thereof with the body of the heel,

Which construction permits the cushion te yield bodily under weight orpressure. The upper side of the cushion 5 forn'iing the bottom of therecess 4., relative to the position of the heel on the shoe, is shapedto provide a flat surface i() and tapering walls l1 of the same size asbut reversely positioned to the parts 6 and 7 of the cushion, and theupper Wall of the recess is inclined, as indi cated at l2, to surroundan opening 13 which is substantially the size of the fiat portion 10 ofthe upper Wall of the recess.

From the above description, the cushion 5 may be considered as asymmetrical meinbei comprising eppositely disposed fiat sides 6 and l0and oppositely directed tapering walls 7 and 1l. The size of the recessa is the saine as the size that portion of the cushion 5 which extendsabove the plane of the tread surface 8 of the heel and, therefore, isthe size of that portion of the upper pari of the cushion extendingabove a line lf.

n, ui

1r with the tread surface 8 of the heel.

t air in the pockets or recesses l.

drawn parallel to the plane of the surface 8 and connecting the`opposite sides of said recess'. By this construction, when pressure isapplied to the tread 6 of the cushion by the weight yof the body beingthrown on the heel in walking, the upper portion of the cushion will beforced inward to compress the air in the recess t and substantially'occupy said recess, while the lower part of the cushion, by the flex ofthe material due to the narrow portions) coupled with the 'flexibilityof the body of the cushion itself, will permit the tread portion 6 ofthe cushion to be brought to a position substantially flush ln thisposition, the tapering wal'ls'll and 12 will be brought substantiallyinto contact, and thus the necessary solid support for the body ofthewearer of Vthe heel in walking is af'- f-orded.

It will be observed that when the tread surface 6 is applied to theground in walking, the weight of 'the body will be initially borne bythe cushions 5 and the compressed This not onlycontributes to ease andcomfort in 'walking or standing, but in walking on slippery pavements,there is much less 'tendency for the heel to slip,'due to the indirector delayed application of the weight of the body to the heel proper. i

The construction illustrated in lig'ures 3 and e differs from that ofFigures l and Q, to which the above description particularly applies,only in the fact that a plurality of cushions, in this instance, three,indicated by 5, are employed instead of the single cushion 5. Theconstruction of each cushion and its corresponding recess 4 is exactlythe same. as that of the single cushion 5.

In the interest of brevity, the claims refer only to a rubber heel, butI wish it understood that this is not intended as a limitation of theinvention to such application.

I wish it further understood that the invention is not limited to theprecise construction shown nor to the particular shape of the cushionand recess shown, as various modifications both in construction anddesign could be made in the invention as illustrated in the drawing,without departing from the spirit of my invention.

l claim l. A. rubber heel having a portion of its body projecting fromits tread surface to forni a cushion united to the heel in the plane ofsaid surface` and provided with a recess above the cushion complenientalin shape thereto.

2. A rubber heel having a portion of its body projecting from its treadsurface to form a cushion, frusto-conical in shape, and provided with avrecess above the cushion complemental in shape thereto.

3. A rubber heel provided with a frustoconical recess opening from itsupper side and having a `portion of its body of similar' shapeprojecting directly from its tread surface fto form a cushion, and acorrespondingly shaped portion projecting into said recess in "spacedrelation to the wall thereof, the area of said recess and of each ofsaid projecting portions being substantially the same.

4. A. rubber -heel Ehavin'g'a lpart 'of its body synnnetrically shaped'to project above and below the plane lof the :tread surface thereof,the lower projection being united to the heel in the plane of saidsurface, and said heel being provided with a recess complemental in sizeand shape to the portion 'of the heel 'projecting abovethe treadsurface.

5. A rubber "heel previ-,led with a recess and having a portion of itsbo'dy shaped to provide oppositely directed.projections, said portionbeing suspended in said recess by a relatively thin part of the body ofthe heel surrounding the same, the 'outer side of which fis flush withIthe tread surface of the heel, and Ethe projections lof said portion`being complemen'tal in 'shape and area to said recess.

G. A rubber heel provided with a frustoc'o'nical recess and having aportion of its body shaped, to provide oppositely `directedfrusto-eonical projections, said portion being` suspended in s'ai'drecess in spaced relation to the wall thereof by a relatively thin partof the body of 'the heel surrounding the same, the outer side of whichis flush with the tread surface 'of the heel, and the projections ofsaid portion being of substantially the same area as said recess.

7. A rubber heel having its body shaped to provide a plurality ofintegral oppositely-dirceted projections having tapering walls, onemember of each projection extending directly from the plane of the treadsurface of the heel to form a cushion` and the other member extendinginto the interior of the heel, the heel being provided with recessesopening from the upper side of the heel, one of which surrounds eachinward projecting member, the wall of each recess and the wall of eachi'n'i'vardly-projectin'g member diverging from a common plane adjacentthe tread surface ofthe heel in a direction toward the upper surface ofthe heel.

ln testimony whereof, l have hereunto set my hand.

JGSEPH H. VMlLLlE-l.

